View full sizeAndrew HolmanA climber breaks trail up the Hogsback on the way to Mount Hood's summit.

Mount Hood is one of the most frequently climbed glaciated peaks in the world, with 10,000 or so mountaineers making the summit attempt each year.

But those who choose not to climb Oregon's highest mountain can get a feel for what the experience is like by watching "Mt. Hood: Climbing Oregon's Highest Peak" on Oregon Field Guide on Thursday, March 29, at 8:30 p.m. on KOPB (10).

And climbers can relive the thrills vicariously, too.

The special half-hour program deftly weaves together historical footage with new material made last June, when an OPB crew accompanied a Mazamas climb team led by Keith Dubanevich to the 11,239-foot summit.

The program covers a lot of ground: everything from the controversy of who made the first ascent, to the fatal accidents, and to the warming climate that endangers today's peak baggers by sending a fusillade of rock and debris sloughing off the cliffs.

Mount Hood by the numbers

12: Number of states with summits higher than Hood

1857: Year of first ascent by Henry L. Pittock's party

193: Number to reach the summit for the founding of the Mazamas in 1894

15: Summit routes described by Jeff Thomas in "Oregon High"

5,239: Feet to the top from Timberline Lodge; to climb a full mile, start lower in the parking lot

It uses interviews with Jack Grauer, Mount Hood's historian, and Jeff Thomas, the Mazamas photo archivist, to capture the spirit of another era, when 247 members of the same party marched in step up the Cooper Spur route in 1931.

It taps into the Mazamas membership with interviews of Vera Dafoe and Marianna Kearney, both tough enough in their climbing prime to march alongside the men in their groups. Kearney even tells how she helped take a bicycle to the top.

And it lets Steve Boyer and Wayne Wallace describe the gonzo side of climbing, with their fast, numerous and frighteningly difficult ways to the top.

No history of climbing Mount Hood is complete without mention of three days in May 1986, when the Pacific Northwest held its collective breath as a raging blizzard prevented rescue teams from searching for the missing party from Oregon Episcopal School.

The program deftly deals with the unspeakable tragedy of nine deaths (four survived), then seems to utter a sigh of relief that nothing since has eclipsed it.

Though the tragedy of 2002 came close.

With KGW(8) reporting live, a military rescue helicopter got caught in changing winds, crashed into the snow, snapped off its rotor blades and tumbled downward, over and over.

Yes, the program makes the viewer watch that horrible scene again.

Miraculously, no one in the helicopter was killed, but three climbers perished in the accident that precipitated the rescue.

Despite moments of drama, the program does not overly focus on the dangers of climbing.

It shows the incredible beauty of being on one of Oregon's natural wonders the moment the sun rises over the Columbia Basin. And it catches the joy of reaching the top, when an unidentified climber lets tears flow upon her triumph.

The program also captures a bit of the mind-numbing monotony that is part of most Mount Hood climbs, which begin in the dark and cover three miles of gentle snow slopes before a steep half-mile to the top.

By including a little boredom, Oregon Field Guide presented a well-rounded view of what it's like to climb Mount Hood.

(The program repeats Sunday, at 6:30 p.m., April 1. It also can be viewed online at opb.org and will air again on TV over the coming months).

View full sizeCharles Caleb Lewis/The MazamasA party of climbers reaches the summit in 1894 on the day the Mazamas were founded.

Where to turn for help when contemplating the summit

Club climbs: Trained volunteers with the Mazamas, Portland's mountaineering club, teach students skill development and teamwork. The basic climbing education program ($325 for members) is in full swing, so check the website in December for classes in 2013. Application for climbs ($15 for members) on the annual schedule opens April 15; 503-227-2345, mazamas.org. (Other outdoor clubs in the region also offer classes and summit climbs.)

Skill building: The Northwest School of Survival in Sandy provides hands-on professional safety training and outdoor leadership skill building. Mount Hood is its home peak. Two-day summit climbs are $475; 503-668-8264, nwsos.com.

Summit guides: Timberline Mountain Guides of Bend is a professional guide service for Mount Hood and other Oregon peaks, plus other types of outdoor instruction. A two-day summit program is $485; 541-312-9242, timberlinemtguides.com.

More info: Mount Hood National Forest, 503-668-1700, fs.usda.gov/mthood (click on recreation, then climbing).